"Imagine if Djokovic is Spanish"; "Nadal wins at something other than clay" - Fans react as Spaniard extends Iead over Serb in Instagram followers

Rafael Nadal recently crossed 21 million followers on Instagram. He has, in the process, extended his already substantial lead over his peers, including Novak Djokovic.

As of now, Nadal sits atop the list of tennis players with the most followers on Instagram. Serena Williams (17.2 million), Djokovic (14.4 million), Sania Mirza (13 million) and Roger Federer (12.1 million) rounding out the top five.

Some fans on X (formerly Twitter), however, claimed that if Djokovic hailed from a country that had more population than Serbia, he would have garnered more numbers.

"Nationality is a big factor in social media followers, imagine if Djokovic is Spanish/British/American," a fan wrote.

As per the United Nations data for 2023, Mirza's home country India has a strength of 1.4076 billion, Williams' USA has 340 million, and Nadal's Spain has 47.1 million. Serbia, meanwhile, has a population of merely 7.1 million.

Another fan joked that the 24-time Grand Slam champion's Instagram numbers would skyrocket once he visits India.

"Novak should visit India soon. Gonna leave Fedal in dust on Insta as well," the fan wrote.

A third fan took a dig at Nadal for having a relatively poorer record on surfaces other than clay, writing:

"Well at least he wins at something other than clay"

The Spaniard notably has a 97 percent win/loss ratio at the claycourt Major, the French Open. The number is significantly higher than his record at the hardcourt Grand Slams, namely the US Open (85 percent) and Australian Open (83 percent), and the grasscourt Major, Wimbledon (83 percent).

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans on X:

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"The image Novak Djokovic projects is worse than what he really is; he is a good person" - Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal recently stated that Novak Djokovic as an individual has always been better than what he has shown to the public eye.

"The image Novak projects is worse than what he really is. He is a good person, with his mistakes... but much better than what he looks like," the Spaniard said in an interview with La Sexta.

The Spaniard further praised the Serb saying:

"Novak breaks the racket but at the next point he is one hundred percent, that's why he is the one who has achieved the most in the history of our sport. The numbers don't lie, I would say he is the best in history."

Djokovic and Nadal have shared one of the most intense rivalries in tennis history. The duo have been neck and neck when it comes to the on-court numbers, and their head-to-head tally marginally favors the Serb at 30-29.